Mazda3: a Bug Triggers Emergency Braking at Anytime

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The Mazda3 are victims of a rather dangerous bug. It triggers the emergency braking system for no apparent reason. The manufacturer was forced to repatriate 35,000 cars to make the necessary modifications and resolve the problem.

Driver assistance technologies generally make our journeys safer and more comfortable. However, letting computer software directly influence the control of a vehicle can be dangerous at times, as some Mazda3 owners have seen. In fact, according to the manufacturer, “  an incorrect program” in the SBS, the  Smart Braking System , can cause emergency braking to be triggered for no apparent reason.

As a reminder, the main function of this technology is to activate the vehicle’s braking in the event of an obstacle on the road (pedestrians, animals, another vehicle, etc.). This system helps to prevent a possible lack of driver reflex. According to the company, the problem affects more than 35,000 Mazda3, 2019 and 2020 models combined. ”  No case of injury or death related to this bug has been reported to us,” says the manufacturer.

The various testimonies of the injured drivers report that the vehicle stops suddenly, without there being any obstacles on the road. The emergency alarm is triggered in the passenger compartment and a message appears on the screen on the dashboard. According to several posts on Reddit, it is possible to deactivate SBS manually, but it seems to reactivate each time the vehicle is started.

The Autoblog site specifies that certain vehicles just need a simple update or reprogramming of the software. Older models, on the other hand, must imperatively return to Mazda garages for a complete overhaul of their system. Fortunately, this bug was quickly detected by the manufacturer, and it has already started to warn the owners of Mazda3. According to the manufacturer, all of the customers concerned will be notified personally by email before February 17, 2020.